Car-coupling



(No Model.)

C. P. JACOBS. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 444,493. Patented Jan. 13, 1891.

wi asses I hm r 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMODORE PERRY JACOBS, OF AURORA, NERASKA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,493, dated January 13, 1891.

Application filed October 23, 1890. Serial No. 369,033. (No model.)

To al whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, COMODORE PERRY JA- COBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Hamilton and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-eouplings of that class which are operated automatically when cars come together; and it has for its object to construct a device of this class which shall be simple, durable, and certain in operation, and which ma)7 be applied at a moderate expense to such ears as are already equipped with the ordinary pin and -link coupling.

W'ith these ends in view myinvention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims..

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one end of a car to which my improved coupling has been applied. Fig.- 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing two cars in position for coupling. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 1 designate the ends of the cars, which are provided with the draw-heads 2, having a limited longitudinally-sliding motion, and the draw-bars 3 are provided with buffersprin gs 4, which are constructed and arranged in the usual manner. v

To the under side of the flanges 5,between which the draw-bars 3 are mounted, are secured suitable guide-strips '6, at the rear ends of which is mounted a guide-plate '7, having a slot 8. The front ends of the guide-strips 6 are suitablT attached to or connected by a eonnectingplate 9, the ends of which are secured to the under side of the iianges 5 at the front ends of the latter.

10 designates a link-supporter, having a shank 11, which is extended through the slot Sin the guide-plate 7. The shank of said link-supporter is provided with a cross-head 12, which is mounted to slide upon the guidestrips 6, and upon the said shank, between the cross-head 12 and the guide-plate 7, is mounted a spring 18, whereby the link-supprovided with a downwardly-extending lip 15 to engage the link-supporter of the opposite car. I also prefer to provide each link- `supporter in its upper side andV at its extreme front end with notches 1G to accommodate the link.

The link, which is designated by 17, is of ordinary construction.

The pin 18 is provided at its lower end and in its front side with a notch 19, adapted to engage the front edge of a slot 20 in the top of 'the draw-head through which said pin passes. The pin is preferably somewhat iiatt-ened, so as to prevent it from turning in its bearings. The head of the pin is connected by a traction-spring 21 with the front end of the car. This device serves when the pin 1s lifted to force its upper end in arearward direction, thus causing the notch 19 at the lower end of said pin to engage the slot 20.

For the purpose of raising the pin when desired, I may avail myself of a verticallysliding rod 22,l mounted to slide in suitable bearings upon the end of the car, a spring 23 being suitably arranged to force the said rod automatically in an upward direction. ln suitable bearings 24 at the lower end of said rod is pivoted a lever 25, the outer end of which is connected by a chain 26 with the head of the coupling-pin. The verticallysliding rod is provided with forwardly'extending arms 2S, that engage the rear end of the lever 25. A hand-lever 27, pivoted to the end of the car on one side of the verticallysliding rod 23, is extended to the opposite side of the car and passes between lugs 28 at the lower end of the rod 22. The latter may thus be operated either from the side or from the top of the car, as maybe found most convenient.

In operation, when cars are to be coupled, the link is mounted in one of the opposing drawheads, and its projecting portion will rest upon the linie-supporting device attached to said drawhead. The pin of the opposite draw-head is lifted until the notch 19 at its lower end engages the slot. 20 in he upper side ot said draw-head. \Vhen the cars come together, the link will be guided into thedrawhead, in which thepin occupies a raised position. Then the draw-heads come into contact with each other, the inward movement of the draw-head having the raised pin will cause the notch at the lower end of said pin to become disengaged from the slot in the top of the draw-head` and the pin will consequently drop down and complete the coupling. It will be observed that the link-supporting devices have a longitudinal slidingmovement which is amply sntiicient to enable them to pass under the draw-bars and out of the way. The springs actuating the said link-supporters will also to some extent act as supplemental buffersprings. For the purpose of uncoupling the cars, the vertically-sliding rod J3 may be easily operated, either directly or by means ot' a hand-lever 27, so as to raise the pin and disengage it from the link.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a longitudinally sliding draw head, a pin mounted in the saine and havingat its lower end the notch adapted to engage the front edge of the slot in the top of the draw-head, and a spring connecting the head of said pin with the end of the car, substantially as and for the 'purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the pin mounted in the same and having at its lower end a notch adapted to engage the frontedge of the slot in the top of the draw-head, a spring connectingr the head of the pin with the end of the car7 and a longitudinally-slidin g spring-actuated linksupport mounted below the draw-head and eX- tended beyond the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set fort-h.

3. In a ear-coupling7 the combination of the draw head having a longitudinal sliding` movement between suitable supportingllangcs, the guide-strips secured under said flanges and connected by a plate at their front ends, the guide-plate at the rear ends of said guide-strips having a slot, the link-supporter, the shank ot` which is extended through said slotted guide-plate and provided with a crosshead mounted upon the guide-strips, and a spring coiled upon the shank of the link-supporter between the cross-head and the slotted guide-plate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the pin mounted in the same and having a notch at its lower end, the spring connecting the head of said pin with the end of the ear, the longitudinally-sliding springactuated link-support having an upwardlycurved and longitudinally-siiding front end provided with a downturned lip and having notches in its upper side, and suitable devices for raising the coupling-pin, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination of the longitudinallysliding draw-head, the vertically-movable pin having a notch at its lower end, a spring connecting the upper end of said pin with the end of the car, a vertically-sliding spring-actuated rod having forwardly-extending arms engaging a lever which is pivoted 1n the lower bearing of said rod, a chain connecting the outer end of said: lever with the couplin g-pin, and a hand-lever adapted to engage the vertically-sliding rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aftixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OOMODORE PERRY JACOBS.

Witnesses:

R. H. PEM-u), A. J. STENsoN. 

